It’s wild to think that Thanksgiving is just one week away. We were just celebrating Halloween, and turkey day will be here quicker than you even know it...the fall is really flying by. They say time seems to go faster when you’re older, and I’m not disagreeing. With each passing second, we’re all getting older and older. Think on that for a second.
This is a big week in publishing. Michelle Obama’s hotly anticipated memoir, BECOMING, came out on Tuesday and already has taken the industry by storm. While I've started reading it, I'm only on page 20, so here's some words about it from the publisher: "It's a work of deep reflection and mesmerizing storytelling in which she invites readers into her world and chronicles the experiences that have shaped her --- from her childhood on the South Side of Chicago to her years as an executive balancing the demands of motherhood and work, to her time spent at the world’s most famous address. With unerring honesty and lively wit, she describes her triumphs and her disappointments, telling her full story as she has lived it. Warm, wise and revelatory, BECOMING is the deeply personal reckoning of a woman of soul and substance who has steadily defied expectations --- and whose story inspires us to do the same."
Barnes & Noble declared that the book has the “most pre-orders of any adult book in over three years”! The last book to do as well was Harper Lee’s GO SET A WATCHMAN, the sequel to TO KILL A MOCKINGBIRD. The company also stated that first-day sales were poised to be the largest for adult fiction in its history. Wowzers! On top of it all, Oprah announced on Monday that the Obama hit is her next book club pick. I’ve been getting through it since I purchased it first thing Tuesday morning, and I’ve also caught a handful of women reading it on the train, which is always a fun sight to see. Print is not dead...yet. If you’re looking to read up a bit more before purchasing, be sure to check out the "20/20" one-hour segment featuring Robin Roberts in conversation with Mrs. Obama. Bookreporter.com will be running a 24-hour contest in the Holiday Cheer feature for BECOMING, and there will be five lucky winners! Be sure to sign up for the exclusive newsletter here so you won’t miss it. Lastly, we’ll have our review the week of November 26th, so stay tuned!
With only one day left in the #loveyourbookstore challenge, you’ve got to be sure to spread the word by this Friday, November 16th. The mission of the challenge is to celebrate your favorite bookstore by posting a photo from inside the store with a favorite book (or bookseller!) and use #loveyourbookstore in the caption. Share your love on Facebook, Twitter and/or Instagram, and you’ll be entered to win book-like prizes! If you’re social savvy and a book lover, chances are you’re already doing something of the sort, so don’t forget your hashtag. Get your friends, family and other lovers involved, too. Read more about the challenge here, and best of luck!
Last night, Carol and Rebecca attended the National Book Awards, hosted by one of the best comedians in the biz: Nick Offerman. It’s one of the grandest nights in publishing --- books version of the Oscars --- and celebrated the best books of the year for the 69th time. THE FRIEND by Sigrid Nunez won the fiction prize. THE NEW NEGRO: The Life of Alain Locke by Jeffrey C. Stewart won in the nonfiction category. INDECENCY by Justin Phillip Reed took the poetry prize, and THE EMISSARY by Yoko Tawada, translated by Margaret Mitsutani, won for translated literature, a new category. THE POET X by Elizabeth Acevedo won the Young People's Literature prize for her YA novel written in verse. You can read more about the event and the winners here.
In what Carol and Rebecca called the highlight of the evening, Isabel Allende gave a moving speech after receiving a lifetime achievement award. She spoke about the times in her life she had been a refugee and an immigrant, and how "writing is done to sort out one's roots." She concluded by noting that she is proud to be an American and "maybe it's finally time to set down roots." Read more about it here.
The HBO adaptation of MY BRILLIANT FRIEND premieres this coming Sunday, November 18th at 9pm --- one of the most primed TV slots in television. The beloved book of the same name by Elena Ferrante came out just seven short years ago and follows the long friendship between two girls in 1950s Naples, Italy. It seemed like at one point a couple of years ago, everyone knew someone who was reading MY BRILLIANT FRIEND, and for good reason. The four books in The Neapolitan Novels series have somewhat of a cult following, along with Elena Ferrante, who is still a bit of a mystery. Naturally, with mystery follows curiosity, and so endless articles have been written about who the real Elena Ferrante is...she’s become the Banksy of the publishing world. As time goes on, Ferrante’s identity is beginning to be revealed, with tidbits here and there coming to light about her upbringing, her educational background and more. She’s even collaborated with the director of the TV series. The novels are translated from Ferrante’s native Italian tongue, and we can expect the same with the series, which will have English subtitles. Early reviews are coming in, and it looks as good as gold.
If you’re looking to escape your family for a bit over the holiday weekend, be sure to check these out:
FAMILY TRUST by Kathy Wang tells the story of Stanley Huang: father, husband, ex-husband, man of unpredictable tastes and temper, aficionado of all-inclusive vacations and bargain luxury goods, newly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. For years, Stanley has claimed that he’s worth a small fortune. But the time is now coming when the details of his estate will finally be revealed, and Stanley’s family is nervous. As his death approaches, the Huangs are faced with unexpected challenges that upend them and eventually lead them to discover what they value most.
Remember that moment when you first encountered a character who seemed to be written just for you? That feeling of belonging remains with readers the rest of their lives --- but not everyone regularly sees themselves in the pages of a book. Glory Edim brings together original essays by some of our best black women writers to shine a light on how important it is that we all have the opportunity to find ourselves in literature in WELL-READ BLACK GIRL: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves. Whether it’s learning about the complexities of femalehood from Zora Neale Hurston and Toni Morrison, finding a new type of love in THE COLOR PURPLE, or using mythology to craft an alternative black future, the subjects of each essay remind us why we turn to books in times of both struggle and relaxation.
Have a happy and sane Thanksgiving!
5 Things To Obsess About This Very Moment, in no particular order:
1. Remembering Marvel co-creator Stan Lee
2. Amazon's award-winning "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel” returns for its second season on December 5th
3. Chloë Grace Moretz and Jack O'Connell are the new Bonnie and Clyde
4. The official trailer for the third season of HBO's "True Detective" is here
5. The all-time '90s throwback is returning in 2019 --- MTV's "Spring Break"
Until next time,
Nicole Sherman
ALICE ISN’T DEAD by Joseph Fink (Horror/Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Jasika Nicole
Keisha Taylor lived a quiet life with her wife, Alice, until the day Alice disappeared. After months of searching, presuming she was dead, Keisha held a funeral, mourned and gradually tried to get on with her life. But that was before Keisha started to see her wife, again and again, in the background of news reports from all over America. Alice isn’t dead, and she is showing up at every major tragedy and accident in the country. Following a line of clues, Keisha takes a job with a trucking company and begins searching for Alice. She eventually stumbles on an otherworldly conflict being waged in the quiet corners of our nation’s highway system --- uncovering a conspiracy that goes way beyond one missing woman. Reviewed by Julianne Holmquist.
THE CRAFTSMAN by Sharon Bolton (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Nathalie Buscombe
Florence Lovelady's career was made when she convicted coffin-maker Larry Grassbrook of a series of child murders 30 years ago in a small village in Lancashire. Like something out of a nightmare, the victims were buried alive. Florence was able to solve the mystery and get a confession out of Larry before more children were murdered, and he spent the rest of his life in prison. But now, decades later, he's dead, and events from the past start to repeat themselves. Is someone copying the original murders? Or did she get it wrong all those years ago? When her own son goes missing under similar circumstances, the case not only gets reopened...it gets personal. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
DARK SACRED NIGHT: A Ballard and Bosch Novel by Michael Connelly (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Christine Lakin and Titus Welliver
Detective Renée Ballard is working the night beat and returns to Hollywood Station to find a stranger rifling through old file cabinets. The intruder is retired detective Harry Bosch, working a cold case that has gotten under his skin. Ballard can't let him go through department records, but when he leaves, she looks into the case herself and feels a deep tug of empathy and anger. The murder, unsolved, was of 15-year-old Daisy Clayton, a runaway on the streets of Hollywood who was brutally killed. Now Ballard joins forces with Bosch to find out what happened to Daisy, and to finally bring her killer to justice. But this new partnership is put to the test when the case takes an unexpected and dangerous turn. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
DUNGEONS AND DRAGONS ART AND ARCANA: A Visual History by Michael Witwer, Kyle Newman, Jon Peterson and Sam Witwer (Art/Gaming)
From one of the most iconic game brands in the world, this official DUNGEONS & DRAGONS illustrated history provides an unprecedented look at the visual evolution of the brand, showing its continued influence on the worlds of pop culture and fantasy. Inside the book, you’ll find more than 700 pieces of artwork --- from each edition of the core role-playing books, supplements and adventures; as well as Forgotten Realms and Dragonlance novels; decades of Dragon and Dungeon magazines; and classic advertisements and merchandise; plus never-before-seen sketches, large-format canvases, rare photographs, one-of-a-kind drafts and more from the now-famous designers and artists associated with "Dungeons & Dragons." Reviewed by Stephen Hubbard.
ELEVATION by Stephen King (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Stephen King
Although Scott Carey doesn’t look any different, he’s been steadily losing weight. There are a couple of other odd things, too. He weighs the same in his clothes and out of them, no matter how heavy they are. Scott doesn’t want to be poked and prodded. He mostly just wants someone else to know, and he trusts Doctor Bob Ellis. In the small town of Castle Rock, Scott is engaged in a low-grade --- but escalating --- battle with the lesbians next door whose dog regularly drops his business on Scott’s lawn. They are trying to launch a new restaurant, but the people of Castle Rock want no part of a gay married couple. When Scott finally understands the prejudices they face --- including his own --- he tries to help. Reviewed by Sarah Rachel Egelman.
AN ELDERLY LADY IS UP TO NO GOOD: Stories written by Helene Tursten, translated by Marlaine Delargy (Dark Humor/Short Stories)
Ever since her father's untimely death, Maud has lived in the family's spacious apartment in downtown Gothenburg rent-free, thanks to a minor clause in a hastily negotiated contract. That was how Maud learned that good things can come from tragedy. Now in her late 80s, Maud contents herself with traveling the world and surfing the net from the comfort of her father's ancient armchair. Over the course of her adventures --- or misadventures --- she will handle a crisis with a local celebrity who has her eyes on Maud's apartment, foil the engagement of her long-ago lover, and dispose of some pesky neighbors. But when the local authorities are called to investigate a dead body found in Maud's apartment, will Maud finally become a suspect? Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
FAMILY TRUST by Kathy Wang (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Joy Osmanski
Meet Stanley Huang: father, husband, ex-husband, man of unpredictable tastes and temper, aficionado of all-inclusive vacations and bargain luxury goods, newly diagnosed with pancreatic cancer. For years, Stanley has claimed that he’s worth a small fortune. But the time is now coming when the details of his estate will finally be revealed, and Stanley’s family is nervous. As his death approaches, the Huangs are faced with unexpected challenges that upend them and eventually lead them to discover what they value most. Reviewed by Megan Elliott.
THE FERAL DETECTIVE by Jonathan Lethem (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Zosia Mamet
Phoebe Siegler first meets Charles Heist in a shabby trailer on the eastern edge of Los Angeles. She’s looking for her friend’s missing daughter, Arabella, and hires Heist to help. A laconic loner who keeps his pet opossum in a desk drawer, Heist intrigues the sarcastic and garrulous Phoebe. Reluctantly, he agrees to help. The unlikely pair navigate the enclaves of desert-dwelling vagabonds and find that Arabella is in serious trouble --- caught in the middle of a violent standoff that only Heist, mysteriously, can end. Phoebe’s trip to the desert was always going to be strange, but it was never supposed to be dangerous. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
FOREVER AND A DAY: A James Bond Novel by Anthony Horowitz (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Matthew Goode
FOREVER AND A DAY is the story of the birth of a legend, in the brutal underworld of the French Riviera, taking readers into the very beginning of James Bond’s illustrious career and the formation of his identity. The sea keeps its secrets. But not this time. One body. Three bullets. 007 floats in the waters of Marseille, killed by an unknown hand. It’s time for a new agent to step up. Time for a new weapon in the war against organized crime. It’s time for James Bond to earn his license to kill. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
THE LIBRARY BOOK by Susan Orlean (Social History)
Audiobook available, read by Susan Orlean
On the morning of April 29, 1986, a fire alarm sounded in the Los Angeles Public Library. As the moments passed, the patrons and staff who had been cleared out of the building realized this was not the usual false alarm. The fire was disastrous: It reached 2,000 degrees and burned for more than seven hours. By the time it was extinguished, it had consumed 400,000 books and damaged 700,000 more. Investigators descended on the scene, but over 30 years later, the mystery remains: Did someone purposefully set fire to the library --- and if so, who? Award-winning journalist Susan Orlean investigates this legendary fire to showcase the larger, crucial role that libraries play in our lives. Reviewed by Harvey Freedenberg.
PAST TENSE: A Jack Reacher Novel by Lee Child (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Scott Brick
While on an epic trip across America, Jack Reacher sees a sign to a place he has never been: the town where his father was born. He takes the detour. At the same moment, in the same isolated area, a car breaks down. Two young Canadians had been on their way to New York City to sell a treasure. Now they’re stranded at a lonely motel in the middle of nowhere. The next morning, in the city clerk’s office, Reacher asks about the old family home. He’s told no one named Reacher ever lived in town. He’s always known his father left and never returned, but now Reacher wonders, Was he ever there in the first place?As Reacher explores his father’s life, and as the Canadians face lethal dangers, strands of different stories begin to merge. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
THE PROPOSAL by Jasmine Guillory (Romantic Comedy)
Audiobook available, read by Janina Edwards
When freelance writer Nikole Paterson goes to a Dodgers game with her actor boyfriend, the last thing she expects is a scoreboard proposal. Saying no isn't the hard part --- they've only been dating for five months. The hard part is having to face a stadium full of disappointed fans. At the game with his sister, Carlos Ibarra comes to Nik's rescue and rushes her away from a camera crew. He's even there for her when the video goes viral and Nik's social media blows up --- in a bad way. Nik knows that in the wilds of LA, a handsome doctor like Carlos can't be looking for anything serious, so she embarks on an epic rebound with him. But when their glorified hookups start breaking the rules, one of them has to be smart enough to put on the brakes. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
PULSE by Michael Harvey (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Chris Andrew Ciulla
In a small apartment in Boston, 16-year-old Daniel Fitzsimmons is listening to his landlord describe a seemingly insane theory about invisible pulses of light and energy that can be harnessed by the human mind. He longs to laugh with his brother Harry about it, but Harry doesn’t know he’s there. None of that matters, though, because the next night Harry, a Harvard football star, is murdered in an alley. Detectives “Bark” Jones and Tommy Dillon are assigned to the case. The veteran partners thought they’d seen it all, but they are stunned when Daniel wanders into the crime scene. Even stranger, Daniel claims to have known the details of his brother’s murder before it ever happened. Reviewed by Stuart Shiffman.
THE RAIN WATCHER by Tatiana de Rosnay (Fiction)
Audiobook available, read by Simon Vance
Linden Malegarde has come home to Paris from the United States. It has been years since the whole family was all together. Now the Malegarde family is gathering for Paul, Linden’s father’s 70th birthday. Each member of the Malegarde family is on edge, holding their breath, afraid that one wrong move will shatter their delicate harmony. Their hidden fears and secrets slowly unravel as the City of Light undergoes a stunning natural disaster, and the Seine bursts its banks and floods the city. All members of the family will have to fight to keep their unity against tragic circumstances. Reviewed by Ray Palen.
THE SPITE GAME by Anna Snoekstra (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Anthea Greco
Mercilessly bullied in high school, Ava knows she needs to put the past behind her and move on, but she can’t until she’s exacted precise, catastrophic revenge on the people who hurt her the most. First, she watches Saanvi, who has it all together on the surface. But everyone does bad things when they think no one is watching, and Ava only wants what’s fair --- to destroy Saanvi’s life the way her own was destroyed. Next, she watches Cass. She’s there as Cass tries on wedding dresses, picks out a cake and betrays her fiancé. She’s the reason Cass’ entire future comes crashing down. Finally, Ava watches Mel, who was always the ringleader. But one tiny slip-up and Ava realizes the truth: Mel knows she’s being watched, and she’s ready to play Ava’s games to the bitter end. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
WAYS TO HIDE IN WINTER by Sarah St.Vincent (Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Sarah Mollo-Christensen
After surviving a life-altering accident at 22, Kathleen recuperates by retreating to a remote campground lodge in a state park, where she works flipping burgers for deer hunters and hikers --- happy, she insists, to be left alone. But when a hesitant, heavily accented stranger appears in the dead of winter --- seemingly out of nowhere, kicking snow from his flimsy dress shoes --- the wary Kathleen is intrigued, despite herself. He says he’s a student from Uzbekistan. To her he seems shell-shocked, clearly hiding from something that terrifies him. And as she becomes absorbed in his secrets, she’s forced to confront her own --- even as her awareness of being in danger grows. Reviewed by Norah Piehl.
WELL-READ BLACK GIRL: Finding Our Stories, Discovering Ourselves edited by Glory Edim (Essays)
Audiobook available, read by Glory Edim
Remember that moment when you first encountered a character who seemed to be written just for you? That feeling of belonging remains with readers the rest of their lives --- but not everyone regularly sees themselves in the pages of a book. Glory Edim brings together original essays by some of our best black women writers to shine a light on how important it is that we all have the opportunity to find ourselves in literature. Whether it’s learning about the complexities of femalehood from Zora Neale Hurston and Toni Morrison, finding a new type of love in THE COLOR PURPLE, or using mythology to craft an alternative black future, the subjects of each essay remind us why we turn to books in times of both struggle and relaxation. Reviewed by Maya Gittelman.
WHEN THE LIGHTS GO OUT by Mary Kubica (Psychological Thriller)
Audiobook available, read by Julia Whelan and Jayme Mattler
Jessie Sloane is on the path to rebuilding her life, renting a new apartment and applying for college. But when the college informs her that her social security number has raised a red flag, Jessie discovers a shocking detail that causes her to doubt everything she’s ever known. Finding herself suddenly at the center of a bizarre mystery, Jessie tumbles down a rabbit hole, which is only exacerbated by grief and a relentless lack of sleep. She begins to see things until she can no longer tell the difference between what’s real and what she’s only imagined. Meanwhile, 20 years earlier and 250 miles away, another woman’s split-second decision may hold the key to Jessie’s secret past. Has Jessie’s whole life been a lie, or have her delusions gotten the best of her? Reviewed by Rebecca Munro.
WRECKED: An IQ Novel by Joe Ide (Mystery)
Audiobook available, read by Sullivan Jones
A series of high-profile wins in his hometown of East Long Beach have made Isaiah Quintabe (IQ for short) so notorious that he can hardly go to the corner store without being recognized. Dodson, once his sidekick, is now his full-fledged partner, hell-bent on giving IQ's PI business some real legitimacy. So when a young painter approaches IQ for help tracking down her missing mother, it's not just the case Isaiah's looking for, but the human connection. And when his new confidant turns out to be connected to a dangerous paramilitary operation, IQ falls victim to a threat even a genius can't see coming. Reviewed by Joe Hartlaub.
ARCHENEMIES by Marissa Meyer (Science Fiction)
Audiobook available, narrated by Dan Bittner and Rebecca Soler
As Insomnia, Nova is a full-fledged member of the Renegades, a syndicate of powerful and beloved superheroes. As Nightmare, she is an Anarchist, a group of of villains who are determined to destroy the Renegades. Nova wants vengeance against the so-called heroes who once failed her when she needed them most. But as Nova, her feelings for Adrian are deepening, despite the fact that he is the son of her enemies. In the second installment of the Renegades trilogy, Nova and Adrian are faced with escalating crime in Gatlon City, while covert weapons and conflicting missions have them questioning not only their beliefs about justice, but also the feelings they have for each other. Reviewed by Rachel R., Teen Board Member.
THE FRAME-UP (The Golden Arrow Mysteries) by Meghan Scott Molin (Mystery)
Audiobook available, narrated by Andrea Emmes
MG Martin lives and breathes geek culture. She even works as a writer for the comic book company she idolized as a kid. But when someone in LA starts recreating crime scenes from her favorite comic book, MG recognizes the golden arrow left at the scene as the calling card of her favorite superhero. When handsome Detective Kildaire asks for her comic book expertise, MG is more than up for the adventure. Unfortunately, MG has a teeny little tendency to not follow rules. And her off-the-books sleuthing may land her in a world of trouble. Because for every superhero, there is a supervillain. And the villain of her story may be closer than she thinks… Reviewed by Wren L., Teen Board Member.
GIRLS OF PAPER AND FIRE by Natasha Ngan (Fantasy)
Audiobook available, narrated by Allison Hiroto
Each year, eight beautiful girls are chosen as Paper Girls to serve the king. It's the highest honor they could hope for...and the most demeaning. This year, there's a ninth. Lei is a member of the Paper caste --- and the girl with the golden eyes whose rumored beauty has piqued the king's interest. Over weeks of training in the opulent but oppressive palace, Lei and eight other girls learns the skills and charm that befit a king's consort. There, she does the unthinkable --- she falls in love, and her forbidden romance becomes enmeshed with an explosive plot that threatens her world's entire way of life. Reviewed by Ilona K., Teen Board Member.
THE RECKONING OF NOAH SHAW by Michelle Hodkin (Paranormal)
In this sequel to THE BECOMING OF NOAH SHAW, the companion series to the New York Times bestselling Mara Dyer novels, legacies are revealed, lies are unraveled and old alliances are forged. Noah’s reckoning is here. Noah Shaw wants nothing more than to escape the consequences of his choices. He can’t. He’s sure the memories that haunt him are merely proof of a broken heart. They aren’t. He thinks he can move forward without first confronting his past. He’s wrong. Reviewed by Isabel C., Teen Board Member.
SKYWARD by Brandon Sanderson (Science Fiction)
Audiobook available, narrated by Suzy Jackson
Spensa's world has been under attack for decades. Now pilots are the heroes, and becoming one has always been Spensa's dream. Since she was a little girl, she has imagined soaring skyward and proving her bravery. But her fate is intertwined with her father's --- a pilot himself who was killed years ago when he deserted his team, hurting Spensa's chances of attending flight school. Flight school might be a long shot, but she is determined to fly. And an accidental discovery in a long-forgotten cavern might just provide her with a way to claim the stars. Reviewed by Jeremy H.,Teen Board Member.
|